That Cern Particle Accelerator...darn...might create some mini black holes and swallow up the universe

There is some joking going on in the news about today's start-up of the particle accelerator in Switzerland. I have been following the development of this thing for years, since way before its aborted construction in Texas, and believe me, this thing is no joke.

First of all, today isn't the day to say "Whew, we're safe!" Today is only the start-up of a beam of protons making a one-way seventeen mile trip around the ten-billion-dollar Cern tunnel. There's no collision yet, not much happening til the "end of the year" which is eerily near. The jokes say (as do some respected scientists) that the end of the world could come because this little 17 mile ring of subatomic action might create mini black holes that could swallow up the earth and beyond. Supposedly Stephen Hawking isn't worried but for some reason I find no comfort in that.

If I didn't have to get ready for work, I would go on and on about something I only understand through a glass darkly. But I encourage you to read about it. It's fascinating, thrilling, frightening. There must be aged scientists hanging on for dear life to see this dream fulfilled. Perhaps they want to experience, Dr. Strangelove-style, the feeling of the universe being swallowed into a timy black hole. They want to have a look around in there, across time and space, in the swoosh of eternity.